How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Home

Indoor air quality is central to your household’s health. Did you know that the air inside the average home is much more polluted than outdoor air? It is—about five times more. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ranked indoor air pollution as one of the top five environmental hazards. Mold, pollen, pet dander, radon and even formaldehyde are usually found inside homes.

You also need to think about humidity when it comes to indoor air quality. Air that is too humid or too dry can have unpleasant effects on your health and damage your home. Let’s take a look at three of the ways US Air Heating and Cooling can help you increase the indoor air quality in your Rock Hill home.

A Clean System is the First Step to Good Indoor Air Quality A dirty HVAC system can harbor and circulate allergens throughout your home. Your first line of defense is to keep your system clean and well maintained. The easiest thing you can do is assess your air filter routinely and replace it when it becomes dirty. In many households, the air filter needs to be changed every two or three months, but US Air Heating and Cooling recommends that you check them every month—especially if you have indoor air quality issues. Annual furnace, heat pump and/or air conditioner maintenance is also important. Your technician will ensure your system is clean and not circulating dust and debris throughout your Rock Hill home.

Enlist the Help of an Air Purifier An air purifier can help improve indoor air quality and offer some relief from seasonal and indoor allergies. For the greatest allergy control, look for an air purifier that filters out at least 95 percent of particles as small as .3 micron (a micron is one-thousandth of a millimeter). Even if no one in your home suffers from allergies, filtering out pollutants is significant. The EPA has stated that the long-term effects of poor indoor air quality include potentially debilitating or deadly respiratory and heart diseases and cancer (https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/introduction-indoor-air-quality). A good air purifier, like the Lennox® PureAirTM, will remove 90 percent of germs and bacteria from your home—down to .01 micron.

Another way an air purifier can make your home more comfortable is by eliminating household odors. While not as serious as pollutants and germs, bad odors are typically unwelcome in people’s homes. Odors from things like pets, cooking, and sports gear can have it smell like your home is unclean. Cleaning your air with an air purifier is a healthier way to remove these odors than trying to mask them. Cleaning products, air sprays and scented candles might actually pollute your indoor air more. The right air purifier will end household odors, offering you clean, healthy air.

Control Humidity for Health The EPA suggests maintaining your indoor relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent. Air that is too dry can cause health problems like upper-respiratory issues, dry throat and nose, and itchy skin. Not to mention that viruses generally thrive in dry air, and dry air is known to aggravate symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers. And, chances are high that your home’s air is too dry—the average heated home has a relative humidity between 13 and 16 percent during the winter. That’s drier than the world’s driest deserts! So what can you do?

A whole home humidifier can deliver up to 50 percent more humidity than portable humidifiers. Plus, you don’t have to constantly adjust most models—just program in your desired humidity and you’re set. Proper humidity levels will not only help keep your household in good health, but they can help guard your home from damages caused by dry airlike shrinking and cracking wood. What’s even better is that humid air feels warmer, so with a whole home humidifier on board, you could set your thermostat a little lower to save on energy bills without sacrificing comfort.

These are just a sampling of the ways US Air Heating and Cooling can help you improve your indoor air quality. Contact us at [[phonenumber]] to find out even more options.

With more than 100 years in existence, Lennox has continuously offered industry-leading innovation and technology while preserving strict durability and reliability standards. The professionals at US Air Heating and Cooling help bring those standards to Rock Hill so that you can always have total home comfort. If you’re searching for a new HVAC system or even if you just have a question about what we carry, give us a call at 803-220-0761 or set up an appointment with us online. We’d love to hear from you.